The three-year sponsorship agreement between controversial basketball star Kobe Bryant and McDonald’s will not be renewed.
Bryant, whose contract with the fast-food giant expired Dec. 31, was accused of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old female hotel employee last July in Colorado. Accusations have since tarnished Bryant’s squeaky-clean image, making sponsors wary of including him as a spokesman for their products and services.
Ferrero of Italy, the maker of Nutella chocolate spread, also did not renew Bryant’s endorsement contract when it expired last August.
Bryant still has a major sponsorship deal with Coca-Cola promoting its Sprite brand, however since his arrest the company has used basketball rival LeBron James as an alternate frontman.